Sample observation apparatus and method for generating observation image of sample

1. A sample observation apparatus comprising: a storage that stores information about a signal-to-noise ratio required in a raw image for generating a super-resolution image; a scanner that scans laser light generated by a light source two-dimensionally on a sample; and a hardware processor configured to perform processes comprising: a number-of-image-data-sets calculating process that calculates a number of image data sets to be added together for generating the raw image based on the signal-to-noise ratio information stored in the storage and a predetermined image acquisition condition; an image-data acquisition process that acquires image data by detecting light from the sample with the predetermined image acquisition condition; a control process that controls the image-data acquisition process to acquire multiple sets of the image data of a same region of the sample, from among a plurality of regions of the sample, by controlling the image-data acquisition process to repeatedly detect light from the same region based on the number calculated in the number-of-image-data-sets calculating process; a raw-image generating process that adds together the multiple sets of the image data of the same region acquired in the image-data acquisition process under control of the control process, so as to generate the raw image, wherein a luminance of the raw image is increased according to the number of the image data sets added together; and a super-resolution image generating process that applies a filter that emphasizes high-frequency components to the raw image generated in the raw-image generating process, so as to generate the super-resolution image, wherein the control process comprises controlling the scanner to repeatedly scan the laser light along the same region of the sample along a same scan line in a main scanning direction, so as to acquire multiple sets of image data of the same scan line, and to repeat an operation in which, after the scanning is repeatedly performed by the number calculated in the number-of-image-data-sets calculating process in the same scan line in the main scanning direction, the scan line to be repeatedly scanned is changed to a next scan line.

2. The sample observation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal-to-noise ratio information includes a first number of photoelectrons, which is a number of photoelectrons per pixel required for obtaining a desired signal-to-noise ratio in the raw image, and wherein the number-of-image-data-sets calculating process divides the first number of photoelectrons by a second number of photoelectrons, which is a number of photoelectrons per pixel in the image data acquired with the predetermined image acquisition condition in the image-data acquisition process.

3. The sample observation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: an input device that allows a user to input whether or not to additionally add the image data based on the raw image generated in the raw-image generating process, wherein when an input indicating that the image data is to be additionally added is received by the input device, the control process controls the image-data acquisition process to continue acquiring the image data for the same region of the sample.

4. A method for generating an observation image of a sample, the method being executed by a hardware processor configured to perform processes including controlling an image-data acquisition process, which acquires image data by detecting light from the sample, to repeatedly acquire image data of a same region of the sample multiple times, from among a plurality of regions of the sample, generating a raw image for creating a super-resolution image of the sample by adding together multiple sets of the image data of the same region repeatedly acquired in the image-data acquisition process as a result of the controlling, and generating the super-resolution image by applying a filter than emphasizes high-frequency components to the raw image, the method comprising: storing predetermined information related to a signal-to-noise ratio that the raw image should have; executing one of (i) control for determining a number of image data sets to be added together for generating the raw image based on a preset image acquisition condition for the image-data acquisition process and the stored predetermined information related to the signal-to-noise ratio, and repeatedly acquiring the image data of the same region in accordance with the determined number, and (ii) control for determining information related to a signal-to-noise ratio that the image data acquired in the image-data acquisition process should have based on a preset image acquisition time and the stored predetermined information related to the signal-to-noise ratio, and controlling the image-data acquisition process to repeatedly acquire the image data of the same region within the preset image acquisition time in a state where the preset image acquisition condition for acquiring the image data, which satisfies the determined information related to the signal-to-noise ratio, is set for performing the image-data acquisition process; generating the raw image by adding together multiple sets of the image data of the same region acquired in the image-data acquisition process as a result of the control executed in the executing, wherein a luminance of the raw image is increased according to the number of the image data sets added together in the generating; and generating the super-resolution image by applying a filter that emphasizes high-frequency components to the raw image, wherein the control executed in the executing comprises controlling to repeatedly scan laser light generated by a light source two-dimensionally on the sample, along the same region of the sample, along a same scan line in a main scanning direction, so as to acquire multiple sets of image data of the same scan line, and to repeat an operation in which, after the scanning is repeatedly performed a calculated number of times in the same scan line in the main scanning direction, the scan line to be repeatedly scanned is changed to a next scan line.